In Dreams
by lalalei
Summary: Across time, across eons, the people dream. Vignettes from every main Zelda game thus far, ordered by release date, with a coda for future games.


Impa dreams of a hero as she traverses Hyrule for miles on end. She's long lost track of time, and her supplies are low, and _adventuring_ at her age—she would have said it impossible months ago. But that was before Zelda was captured, before she needed her, and the old nursemaid is devoted to her princess no matter what.

She travels the caves, the mountains, the forests. Surely, somewhere in Hyrule there must be one who can reclaim the shattered Triforce, defeat the beasts guarding it and go on to slay Ganon. The closest lead she's found is an old man with a wooden sword in a cave, but he refused to meet her eyes, spouting only cryptic riddles—riddles, Impa supposes, for the hero. The rest of Hyrule is lost to monsters, to underground gambling dens, to death.

Finally she can run no more, and it doesn't take long for Ganon's forces to find her. Impa slowly raises her hands in surrender, praying for a clean, painless death, when, at last—hope. A youth, a savior, cuts down the monsters and frees her just when it would all be over. Seeing his strength, his courage, Impa feels her dreams—the dreams of Hyrule—can come true, if the boy only has the tenacity to keep at it.

* * *

Link dreams of the darkness that has swallowed the land. With monsters baying for his blood, he can never stay in one place too long, and the first day of his journey almost ended prematurely with a near-fatal fall.

He hopes the sleeping princess, Zelda I, doesn't have similar dreams. Impa had told him of her story, her curse, and he wonders what her jealous, misguided brother dreamed of in the years following her eternal sleep. Part of him thinks it isn't fair, that the Prince of Hyrule was just a child lashing out, that his actions should not have caused his sister and deceased father such grief. Another part wonders what Zelda will do upon waking, now that all she knows is gone.

He hopes Zelda, his Zelda, can help her with the Triforce of Wisdom. He hopes the Triforce of Courage will give him the strength to awaken the princess. He hopes this time around the Triforce of Power can be put to good use.

He hopes he can make it to the Great Palace without dying.

The forces of darkness dream of their leader, restored to glory. A blood sacrifice is all that will do it, and the ghosts whisper to the Moblins, the Armos, the shadows. No matter where Link is or what he's doing, if he dies they _will_ know, and they will collect enough blood to make Ganon proud.

When Link's shadow tears apart from his body and raises its sword in battle, Link wonders if, deep down, part of him dreams of Ganon restored too.

* * *

His uncle had little time to dream, that he knew of, but Link suspects he dreamed of ending the crisis himself. He cradles his dying uncle in his arms as the older man apologizes for getting him involved; defeating Agahnim was a task for the Knights of Hyrule, not for children.

But he gives his nephew the knowledge of swordplay regardless, imploring him to save Zelda now that he has failed to do so. Link takes up his weapons solemnly, closing his uncle's eyes in death and preparing himself for a quest he barely knows the details of. Zelda's voice reaches his mind, and when the princess learns what has happened she expresses her sorrow.

But Link's dream is now the same as his uncle's, and there's no time now for shed tears.

Save Zelda.

Stop the wizard.

Save the land, or all is lost.

* * *

Link hasn't slept on Koholint since his arrival. At first he'd thought nothing of it, but now that he _knows_ , now that he understands what the island _is_ , it all makes sense to him now. You can't dream inside of a dream, but he dearly wishes he could, if only for Marin's sake.

Part of him wanted to stay since learning the truth. It would be so easy to cast aside the thought of escape and keep living in the dream, but Marin seeks more, and her eyes and voice are so like Zelda's it makes his heart ache. She wants off the island, to fly free like a gull, and in Link's murky waking-dreams he vows she will accomplish the task, Nightmares or no Nightmares.

Before the island erodes his will Link resolves to conquer it, to attain the Instruments and awaken the Wind Fish without losing himself in the process. The Nightmares, he suspects, are already lost, futilely trying to sustain themselves by growing to devour all.

He doesn't know what will happen if he died, in this shared dream. He might be lost forever, or he might wake up like nothing had occurred. But whatever the case, the sparkle in Marin's eyes as she dreams of the sea and sky tells him not to let it happen.

When the Nightmares are vanquished and the Wind Fish wakes at last, Link squints into the rising sun and sees Marin with wings, and he hopes the myriad other dreams of Koholint have taken flight as well.

* * *

The dying soldier dreams of hope. Maybe it's a fool's dream—he saw Ganondorf kill the king with his own eyes, saw his comrades cut down defending Impa and the princess. He knows the wounds he received are fatal, and now he can only wait for the end.

But the princess had such hope in her eyes when she talked of the boy from the forest, even knowing the worst could happen. She had something to give to the boy, and while the guard doesn't know what it is or how it works he knows where it has to be taken—the Temple of Time.

If the boy crosses his path, he'll make sure he tells him even as his life ebbs away.

If not, he'll die alone.

But that would be fine.

He succeeded in one goal, at least. He saw Zelda and Impa escape.

Whether his message goes unheard or not, the soldier thinks, there has to be hope left.

* * *

Termina is a nightmare at first. The land feels twisted, wrong, inside out, more of a nightmare than anything Link had seen before. The people are familiar but not _quite_ , the very land is hostile and seems ready to tear apart at the seams, and the ever-falling moon promises a swift end.

But wearing the masks brings such pain it cannot be a dream, and so he soldiers on, gets to know the place instead of living in fear. He isn't sure what to make of the enigmatic Mask Salesman, but Tatl and Tael have given him enough information to know what the Skull Kid dreamed of. Friends. Link is saddened that such a simple wish was corrupted in such a way, and is determined to help the lost imp if he can.

But it's the people, who once seemed so alien to him, that make Link more determined than ever to stop the twisted, grinning moon from destroying Clock Town.

Reclaiming his human form has made him more confident, and as he resets time again and again he dreams that this time he'll succeed in breaking the cycle.

In the seconds it takes to traverse the corridors of time, he dreams of Hyrule.

* * *

Veran dreams of total control, and keeping it. With Nayru's body she has insurance should Link or Ralph attempt to harm her; with Ambi's body she has legal dominion over Labrynna; with time-twisting powers she can go back and correct any flaws in the plan.

Let General Onox wreak all the havoc he wants; his brute strength is nothing next to her cunning. She will keep her power, her beauty, forevermore.

As Veran watches Link overcome her minions regardless, a seed of doubt plants itself in her dark heart, and she wonders if there's something about the Flame of Sorrow she hasn't been told.

In the night she hears the laughter of witches, but finds nothing when she investigates, and Veran has a growing suspicion that she, too, is a puppet.

Well. In the end it won't matter. It's just one more reason to keep in control.

* * *

Maple doesn't have dreams for the future except that kid staying out of her way. Really, can't a self-respecting witch apprentice get a little peace and quiet around here? After the fourth pick-up-your-dropped-items game in several days of broom-riding it's starting to get a bit old.

The first time she could chalk up to an accident, but Link keeps bumping into her! The nerve! If she didn't know better, she'd swear he enjoyed seeing her, and the sudden thought makes her blush.

Still. The kid should learn that having all those Rupees on hand and letting her win the past few games won't come without consequences, and she trades in her broom for a marvel of modern machinery—a device that can suck in anything in front of it.

When she deliberately drops a Piece of Heart and suctions it up before he can reach it, his expression is _glorious_. Maybe that, Maple hopes, will teach him a lesson.

Or maybe, she realizes when it's too late, it will make him bump into her _more_ often.

* * *

The Links dream of times and places past. The locations in the Realm of Memories are strange and the enemies even stranger, but somehow, in some ancestral way it all feels familiar.

The silver door leads to a castle and its gardens, full of treasure. But even here there are puzzles to be solved, enemies to fight, and the Links wonder if it once held people. Inside their questions are answered—the floor crumbles away, Stalfos rule with impunity, and the only signs of life are the Links themselves. The once proud castle, and the forest beyond, is a haven for monsters and a tomb for those who once lived there.

The golden door takes them to an island lit in monochrome, and the entire place feels somehow like a dream. There are keys to grab, bombs to throw, but where are the people? Was this island abandoned, or did some dark force corrupt it? A friendly. if temperamental, creature attached to a chain alleviates the loneliness some, but they can't help but feel something was here once, and now isn't.

The hero's door leads to a Hyrule coated in bright colors; even the Links' hair colors have changed to fit this world. There are so many trees among the featureless flat ground (Desert? Plains? It seems a mystery) it's hard for them to find their way at first. But soon they find the puzzles, the monsters, and progress through this landscape as they have the ones before. This one feels the most desolate of all; everything here is wilderness, and everything here is potential danger. There are no towns, only caves, and the lakebed seems as vast as ocean. They shudder at one destination being a graveyard, and it's somewhat of a relief when the final area is simply a dungeon.

When the memories end, the Links wonder whose memories they were, and hope they don't foretell the future.

* * *

Ganondorf dreams of holding onto the past and bringing it forth into day. He'd dreamed of power, once, and still does, but the flooded Hyrule of the present is unacceptable to him. His people, his conquest, everything he had worked for, are forever buried under endless waves.

The islanders' alarming lack of knowledge of the situation only increases his anger, and when the Triforce is his he will show them firsthand their past. Their present, his future, will be under his heel just as it should have been so long ago.

He will bring the past back, bring Hyrule back, and with the complete Triforce nothing will stop him. No Silver Arrows this time, boy; no last-second reprieve from the darkness.

When the King seals Hyrule's fate and his own in the same breath, Ganondorf can't help but laugh as the ocean cascades in.

* * *

The Blue Maiden dreams of prosperity for her village. On one hand she feels pride in having an entire town named after her; on the other she worries and frets for their safety even when monsters aren't attacking.

The formation of the Seekers' Guild itself is proof that the town isn't quite normal, and she feels helpless to prevent the influx of Vaati's mages. The missing children and the stolen house—foundation and all—are even more pressing concerns, but the Maiden is relieved when Link manages to put things right, even helping a young, friendlier mage. She hopes Iris wouldn't be punished harshly for doing good deeds.

At first the Blue Maiden doesn't know what she'd do without Link—the village owes him so much; without his guidance they'd be stuck in a loop, never progressing.

But as she considers it, the Maiden realizes that Link has to leave. He has to save the other Maidens, and Zelda too, and that means they have to run things by themselves. It will be difficult, even with Vaati's influence gone, but the Maiden is hopeful that they can use what they've learned from Link to make her dreams of prosperity and peace a reality.

* * *

Vaati dreams of power in the form of light. The tales of wickedness and power fascinated him even as a child; he knows his ambitions are lofty, but with the wish-granting cap at least one dream is realized.

His sorcerous powers are mighty, but not absolute, and Vaati craves more. The chest had been a false lead, but he's nothing if not persistent. The light force thrumming through Zelda's veins is surely the key to the power he seeks.

He will be more than he is; he will be unstoppable.

Vaati's dreams, always of himself, bright with unholy power, shine brilliantly in his mind.

He can no longer see his form as he once was.

* * *

Midna dreams of the comforting darkness of home, far from the searing, dangerous light of Hyrule.

The Twilight Realm would be strange, even alien, to the average Hylian, but to Midna the guttering shadows and wisps are home, as much as the magic and the metal walls and the peaceful light of the Sols are. The closest Hyrule gets to the beauty of her world is when the sun sets in the evening, covering it in haze.

She wishes she could show Link the realm as it was, before it became twisted and darker than she'd ever seen it, before the inhabitants became mindless beasts.

She hopes there is enough of her realm left to rule, after all this is over.

When Zelda transfers her pure light to save Midna she is grateful, but part of her privately wonders if it means she can never see the shadows of her home again.

* * *

Linebeck dreams of courage like Link's. He talks a big game, and he knows it, but inside he's desperate to be truly recognized as a hero—something that seems far away with Link in the picture, his own courage of lack thereof not withstanding.

It's easier to blame the boy than to make effort to improve himself, at least at first, but as time passes Linebeck notices he, too, is less quick to flee than before.

The boy's courage is catching, and Linebeck adventures with renewed vigor and hope.

When Link is caught off-guard Linebeck charges in with no regard to himself, and as the beast takes over his body he laughs inside, as he realizes that his dream came true.

* * *

Link isn't sure about his dreams, not yet. There are still so many places to explore along the railways, so many treasures to find and people to see. But he also knows he won't last forever; if another ancient evil threatens the land, and there were no heroes to help, everything he worked for could be undone.

Perhaps, Link ponders, he could teach others the way of the sword.

He's still young, and he has Zelda to ask for advice, so maybe he wouldn't need to decide anything just yet.

But Link knows before too much time has passed that he'll need to turn one dream—or both—into reality.

* * *

Zelda's endless slumber is steeped in encroaching darkness. In her dreams it blots out the sun only briefly before Link vanquishes it; in her nightmares it devours him and destroys all.

Sometimes the details change; his hair is brown in one vision, blonde in another, and the darkness takes a multitude of forms. Her own form, too, seems to bend and waver but never fully disappear.

Her favorite dreams, all too brief, are where she and Link travel to the world below the clouds like she dreamed as a child. They live together, grow old together, and Zelda yearns for a peaceful life.

But the darkness approaches, always approaches, and even in slumber she flinches. No matter what she does, it always returns, and she can only dream that this time it will stay away long enough—at least be held at bay for one, full life.

And yet, despite her dreams, it never seems to.

* * *

Hilda dreams of a Triforce, _any_ Triforce. She wonders if her ancestors really knew what calamity they caused by shattering the artifact; whatever wars they waged over it were as nothing compared to the havoc they wrought by destroying it. Now her kingdom is dead, dying, and all she has are empty dreams of prosperity until the wizard Yuga spies a crack between realms.

Now she sees the rich land of Hyrule, with its Triforce still shining life unto the land—and upside-down compared to hers, but that's a small matter. Hilda is filled with longing, and feels a sense of purpose and drive she's never known before.

It _will_ be hers, no matter what happens to Hyrule and no matter what actions she must take to get there. She is positive there is no other way. Lorule was cursed; Hyrule is blessed. They would not share their bounty when their own kingdom has been ravaged by wars.

Simply asking, Hilda knows, is a dream in itself.

When her Triforce is restored she isn't sure she deserves it, but her kingdom deserves to live. Lorule deserves a future, one with a princess pure of heart and a hero who will never let it down.

Hilda dreams of becoming a ruler her people can be proud of.

* * *

Styla dreams of a way out. The one good thing about that hideous cursed outfit, she reflects, is that it let her be out and about, free from her castle and the pressures of maintaining a perfect sense of fashion.

It let her hide from those who would hound her, those who resented her style and beauty, and also let her hide from that cute hero, Link. But now, she thinks, all that's over; with her princess dress fully restored and her loyal subjects waiting to praise every toss of her hair, every outfit she has, Styla can't go out without being recognized.

Then she considers. Thinks.

Perhaps she can't have that outfit back—she'd given it to Link, after all. But maybe she can have something else, something still inconspicuous but not nearly as fashion-challenged. She grins, recalling a tale of a Princess of Hyrule who had disguised herself, and Styla thinks that what's good enough for Zelda is good enough for her.

She might have to do something about that hair, though.

* * *

King Roahm dreams regret. The land is dark, the people lack hope, Ganon could be days from breaking free, but all he can think of is his daughter.

He should never have been so hard on her, he should have listened, he should have planned, should have done something, anything to help her instead of assuming he knew better.

Why would he assume that Ganon would not have learned from its mistakes, counted on him doing exactly as was done millennia ago with no consideration for differences? Why had he dismissed Zelda's scholarly dreams as mere fantasy? Perhaps she could have found something to tip the balance, before the land fell.

But now it's too late for regrets. His daughter weakens even as he frets, and if there is to be hope—any hope—left at all, the boy must awaken and heed her call.

His last dreams are of her salvation, and he can only hope they hold true.

* * *

The Goddesses themselves dream of Hyrule.

Din dreams uneasily of fleeting peace and darkness.

Nayru dreams gently of wise princesses and their heroes.

Farore dreams, curious, of legends yet to come.

Hylia dreams of times long past, of other legends' dreams.

Together, they dream existence.


End file.
